speaking stranded Pakistanis in Bangladesh who are locally called ‘Biharis', after over three-decade long seclusion in refugee camps across the country, were granted the right to vote in the recent Bangladeshi general election. However, many overseas groups committed to the cause of stranded Pakistanis believe it to be a political move which comes to pass only at the time of elections. “The right to vote is, in fact, a drama played by local politicians who are only interested in the bulk of votes they get from these helpless people. Otherwise, the High Court ruling was to grant citizenship to all those who were born after Dec.16, 1971,” said Ehteshamuddin Arshad, central chairman of the Pakistan Repatriation Counsel (PRC). Stranded Pakistanis who showed their loyalty to Bangladesh, had no criminal record and were born in Bangladesh or were minors during the Liberation War, were eligible to vote in the election. Arshad said the interim government did not take any decision on the High Court ruling. “The politicians persuaded a few thousand stranded Pakistanis (around 10 percent) to campaign for them. The government's real position will be known when the newly elected Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, will take a decision on them,” he said. Records indicate that in the past Sheikh Hasina has categorically denied that stranded Pakistanis deserve citizenship based on their move against the creation of Bangladesh and siding with the Pakistani army as well as their preference for the Urdu language. “Around 60 percent of the younger generation of the stranded Pakistanis may opt for Bangladeshi citizenship, while the rest may want to go to Pakistan,” said Engr. Ehsan-ul-Haque, overseas convener of the PRC in Saudi Arabia. Calling it a political gimmick, Haque said the stranded Pakistanis were granted a voting franchise in the 2002 election as well. “Then, 10 people approached the Dhaka Court. They (stranded Pakistanis) were allowed voting rights, but were not given citizenship. They still live in Dhaka camps,” he said. Haque estimated that if 130,000 eligible young stranded Pakistanis became Bangladeshi citizens, about 12,000 veterans will continue to stay in the camps without any aid from either Pakistan or Bangladesh, or from their children, and the situation may further deteriorate. Faiz Al-Najdi, international media coordinator of the PRC, said that the issue of stranded Pakistanis in Bangladesh cannot be buried with the granting of voting rights to a section of this group. “A piece of paper granting nationality is not the real solution to their predicament. They must also be provided with a support system, like housing, jobs, etc., to help them integrate with the local populace and settle there,” he said. Some say that the Bangladeshi government's move to grant voting rights to stranded Pakistanis has resulted in a setback to the very cause of those stranded Pakistanis who wish to be repatriated to Pakistan. Hamid Islam Khan, overseas deputy convener of PRC, said neutral bodies like the Muslim World League (MWL), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), or the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), should be asked to look into the repatriation of the stranded Pakistanis. “Based on the PRC proposal, Pakistan should seek the help of MWL and the Rabita Trust for finance and logistic help. If the stranded Pakistanis chose to settle in Bangladesh, they should be provided with all facilities and not be looked down on as second class citizens,” said Khan. The PRC has submitted a proposal on self-finance to bring about the repatriation on the basis of employment in Saudi Arabia. Rumi Saeed, Bangladeshi journalist in Jeddah, said the recent elections in Bangladesh were free and fair. “The ballot system was ideal and the turnout was more than what was expected,” he said, adding that those who wish to repatriate to Pakistan should be allowed to do so, while granting Bangladeshi citizenship to others who wish to stay back. However, Ehtashamuddin Khan, vice president of Stranded Pakistanis General Repatriation Committee (SPGRC) in Dhaka, said that official government figures claim that only 12,500 Biharis voted in the recent election, most of whom were coerced into doing so by the land mafia.
